rjes dran drug - Six recollections. There are different lists of which the most appropriate is: Recollection of the yidam deity, the path, the place of rebirth, the meditative state, the oral instructions of the teacher, and the view [RY]

nyams len gyi dngos gzhi - Main part of practice. Refers to the practice that follows the preliminaries: either yidam practice or, here, the actual practice of Mahamudra or Dzogchen. According to Jigmey Lingpa, 'main part' literally means 'actual basis' in the sense that 'basis' means to have full intellectual comprehension of the practice and 'actual' means to have direct experience of its meaning [RY]

snying po'i sngags - essence mantra. The short form of the mantra of a yidam deity as opposed to the longer dharani mantra; for example 'om mani padme hung.' [RY]

gnubs nam mkha'i snying po - Namkhai Nyingpo of Nub. Born in the district of Lower Nyal, he was one of the first Tibetans to take ordination. An adept translator, he journeyed to India where he received transmission from Hungkara and attained the body of nondual wisdom. Namkhai Nyingpo is also counted among the twenty-five disciples of Guru Rinpoche. Receiving the transmission of Vishuddha Mind, he became able to fly on the rays of the sun. When meditating in Splendid Long Cave of Kharchu at Lhodrak he had visions of numerous yidams and attained the vidyadhara level of Mahamudra. Eventually he departed for celestial realms without leaving a corpse behind. Namkhai Nyingpo means 'essence of space.' [RY]

rnam par smin pa'i rig 'dzin - Vidyadhara level of maturation; vidyadhara level of Full Maturation. The first of the four vidyadhara levels. The beginning of the path of seeing; the practitioner has reached stability in the development stage and his mind has 'matured' into the form of the yidam deity, but he is yet to purify the remainder of the physical elements [RY]

dpal gsang ba 'dus pa - Shri Guhyasamaja. Literally, 'Assembly of Secrets.' One of the major tantras and yidams of the New School [RY]

'og min du lhan skye kyi yum - Dorje Phagmo, for those who practice the {gsang sngags} the yidam descends and bestows the third initiation and by this there is the transition from tenth stage bodhisattva to buddha, the coemergent consort in Akanishtha [RY]

yi dam - Yidam. A personal deity and the root of accomplishment among the Three Roots. The yidam is one's tutelary deity; a personal protector of one's practice and guide to enlightenment. Traditionally, yidam practice is the main practice that follows the preliminaries. It includes the development stage and the completion stage and is a perfect stepping stone for, or the bridge to approaching, the more subtle practices of Mahamudra and Dzogchen. Later on, yidam practice is the perfect enhancement for the view of these subtle practices [RY]